Where do all the pieces fit? In David Fincher's 1997 thriller The Game, it's not just Nicholas van Orton puzzling through the clues – it's us, too. From the get-go, we're given hints of what's to come. There's a subtle tinkle of glass as dark puzzle pieces, designed by Richard 'Dr.' Baily, reveal the studio logos and the title. Then, a fuzzy look into a family's history. A piano plays softly and the cellophane jumps from scene to scene, an invitation to private moments and intimate gatherings – but there is something uneasy there, too. Something fraying at the edges.

I don’t believe in decorative titles — neato for the sake of being neato. I want to make sure you’re going to get some bang for your buck. Titles should be engaging in a character way, it has to help set the scene, and you can do that elaborately or you can do it minimally.

For The Game that was pretty simple: the idea of these weird home movies. We didn’t end up running titles on them — we saved them until the end — but we had the Polygram thing at the beginning with the puzzle pieces. It was just an elegant introduction to who the character is.